Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Accomplishments
LANGUAGES
Timeline
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Craig Daniel Hecht

Craig Daniel Hecht

Summary

Experienced in organizing and overseeing comprehensive travel arrangements for corporate clients, utilizing strategic planning and vendor management to optimize travel logistics. Track record of enhancing travel policies and ensuring high customer satisfaction. Proven history of implementing cost-saving travel policies and delivering seamless travel experiences. Committed team player known for adaptability and collaborative approach, skilled in travel planning and relationship management, adept at helping to lead a large team in a high-pressure environment.

Overview

23
23
years of professional experience

Work History

VIP Travel Manager & Assistant Team Leader

(FCM Travel Solutions)
03.2020 - Current
  • Leadership focused with emphasis on building a cohesive team
  • People management skills
  • Understanding the importance of psychology and personality types using DISC/Enneagram in shaping a team's dynamics
  • Building effective productivity measures based on individual output capacity and identifying skillsets suitable for different areas
  • Understanding the use of technology and emerging AI platforms in how they can enhance our effectiveness as a team
  • Coordinating complex travel logistics
  • Working closely with our account management and finance teams to ensure accurate financial reconciliation, management of client cost centres and profiles as well as expectations around reporting analytics and financial transparency
  • Ensuring client travel policies are strictly adhered to according to their unique individual requirements
  • Servicing a variety of Government Departments and their VIP Travellers, including:
  • - Ministers
  • - Parliamentarians
  • - Police, Fire and SES Commissioners
  • - VIPs and general staff from the Department of Justice, Transport, Water, Industry, Education, Planning & Health


  • Taking initiative to assist in training and developing our team of 40+ consultants through one on one and group training sessions covering a wide variety of subject matter.
  • Taking a directorship to manage the entire team's finances by running the appropriate reports, collating the data and presenting this to the team on a daily basis, ensuring that all outstanding transactions are completed and managed within a strict SLA.
  • Taking on the full responsibility of the Team Leader in his absence, liaising with key Gov't stakeholders to resolve queries, disputes and problem solve to fulfill our commitment to our customer.
  • Conducting One on Ones with the team and when required, running our weekly board meetings.
  • My role has required me to be incredibly efficient in adapting to change, quick thinking and effective in time management, while having a well-rounded knowledge of all our systems and processes. The vast size of the Gov't Account, being over $200m in TTV, has required an immense amount of training and self-development.

Adviser & Future Team Leader

FCM Concierge
11.2017 - 03.2020
  • FCM Concierge is a white-glove, concierge travel service that encapsulates the entire travel experience for a client. It expands across both corporate and leisure categories of the travel experience, and predominately caters to C-Suite clientele. The details of the service are tailored to the individual's needs and preferences and these services can be as intricate or as basic as the client desires.


  • Managing a shared portfolio of clients, operating as a primary on several accounts and a backup on others. The primary objective is to know each account intimately and service these accounts according to their particular requirements.
  • As Assistant Team Leader I was responsible for assisting my Team Leader in managing the team across many areas i.e., reporting and data capture, financial management and keeping track of profit and loss with an emphasis on team KPIs, rostering of staff, problem solving, organizing team and supplier engagement activities.
  • Detailed onboarding – meeting with the traveller themselves or their EA/Travel Booker to obtain every possible detail about the client's preferences, likes/dislikes, memberships, interests and hobbies. This enables us to provide a seamless service, catered to the individual.
  • Profile Creation – preparing a detailed profile both within our back end system, where bookings are made, as well as on shared secured electronic documents for easy access across the entire team and our Pinnacle After Hours service.
  • Pinnacle Gift – Providing a personalised service, clients will generally meet with a Pinnacle Team member both for their onboarding and again to receive their welcome gift, which includes very practical travel accessories to complete the experience. I will travel interstate when necessary to deliver the gifts personally to my clients, where I am the primary on the account.
  • Managing Accounts:
  • Day to day reporting and risk management, ensuring company guidelines with respect to their individual risk policies are strictly adhered to.
  • Ticket credit registry monitoring and proactive management to reduce unnecessary client expenditure.
  • Liaising with the account management team regarding hotel and airline contracts to ensure the client is receiving the maximum savings and benefits of our service.
  • Quality Assurance(QA)- Each booking processed has a triple-check system, whereby a QA form is filled in at each stage of the booking process to ensure there are no errors.
  • Invoicing and reporting – As we are self-invoicing, I am responsible for the bookings I have created and ensuring all have been invoiced and charged to the client correctly. Reporting is done daily to catch any errors or invoicing lapses.
  • I am also responsible for charging the appropriate fees for service, ensuring that we are maximizing our earnings by charging the correct fees where warranted.
  • Queue Management – Many of our clients have their own Pseudo City Code (PCC) in which their bookings are made. Each PCC has it's own Queue system and each queue needs to be checked several times daily to ensure bookings are managed thoroughly.
  • The demands of this role are very high, but equally rewarding. My skills had been further enhanced by the addition of now operating simultaneously across two GDS's, Galileo & Sabre.

VIP Consultant

ATPI Voyager
10.2015 - 10.2017


  • Managed a portfolio of over 10 accounts, I was responsible for managing every aspect of my clients' travel. My role demanded a very high attention to detail, a pro-active and attentive approach, with an “anything can be done” attitude.
  • I serviced numerous types of accounts ranging from Telecom companies, financial investment firms, not for profit organisations, law and engineering firms and university accounts, with my actual clients being CEOs, CFO's, COO's, Executive and Managing Directors and Owner Operators. These clients have high demands and require more and expect more. A key aspect of my role was to understand the nature of their travel and develop a detailed knowledge of their habits and preferences, meeting these needs before they even ask them to be met.
  • I was responsible for liaising with my clients directly or with their EA's/Travel Bookers and doing so with a fast turnaround expectation, keeping in line with our contracted SLAs and wherever possible exceeding client expectations.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to empathize and build rapport with my clients made me a valuable asset to the company.
  • My role allowed me to build strong relationships with our suppliers, which enabled me to further better service my clients by calling in favours where required and securing additional services for my VIP's such as room upgrades, special add-ons and VIP treatment at hotels as well as obtaining waivers for cancellations well within the penalty period.
  • I operated at an extremely proficient level with Amadeus before moving over to Galileo, where I consider myself an expert.
  • My role has enabled me to work across many different types of accounts and in doing so, learning the requirements of each and tailoring the needs of the client according to the contracted agreements in place. Having a wide variety of clients means that I not only have to be fast and precise, but I have to action each request while keeping in mind the individual requirements of that specific account.

Travel Expert | Assistant Store Manager

STA Travel
05.2007 - 10.2015
  • Exceptional personal skills, a wide network of connections (both clients and suppliers) coupled with great travel experience, product knowledge and passion for the industry, is what made me one of STA's top performing travel experts.
  • I have intimate knowledge of all aspects of travel, including:
  • Tour companies
  • Accommodation worldwide
  • Travel insurance
  • Visas
  • Currency related products
  • Rail networks
  • Airlines
  • Global travel routes
  • GDS (Sabre & Amadeus)
  • Key responsibilities
  • As a Travel Expert and Assistant Store Manager at STA Travel my position required me to:
  • Achieve KPI's by working both independently and as part of a team.
  • Continually maintain and evolve my extensive product knowledge by both engaging with new products and consistently re-training on existing ones.
  • Deliver consistent high sales results by providing great customer service, based upon my ability to build a strong rapport with people.
  • Perform managerial tasks in the absence of the store manager.
  • Mentoring and training
  • A core part of my role at STA had been to mentor fellow Travel Experts and champion key performance outcomes on behalf of the company. The key focus of this additional responsibility was to increase our Victorian Travel Experts' product knowledge and sales skills, to ultimately deliver increased sales for the region as well as increase the average length of tenure. This role has involved:
  • Regular store visits on a weekly basis to coach individual Advisers one-on-one.
  • Redeveloping and conducting group coaching sessions at STA Travel HQ's training facility.
  • Awards and achievements
  • My time at STA Travel was characterised by outstanding results in both Sales & Customer Service.
  • Since my start in 2007 I had achieved a Top Seller Award each year for achieving annual revenue ranging from $200,000 to $321,000 and gross sales ranging from 1.7-2.3 million.
  • National Customer Service Award 2009.
  • Travel Expert of the Year 2012, 2013.
  • Top Seller of the Year 2012, 2013, 2014 – Insurance Sales.
  • National Top Seller of the Year & # 2 Globally for Insurance sales in 2013, 2014.
  • Achieved for my Store (R.M.I.T University Branch) the 3rd highest converting store in the Victorian Region for 2014.
  • Top Seller of the Year 2014 – Accommodation Sales.

Store Manager

Bakpakka
02.2005 - 05.2007
  • A leading retailer in travel & outdoor equipment
  • As the Store Manager of Bakpakka I was ultimately responsible for the day-to-day operation of this successful business and reported directly to the owner.
  • Key responsibilities
  • Meeting sales targets and achieving growth year on year.
  • Sourcing, training and leading a team of seven sales consultants.
  • Ensuring and maintaining high standards of customer service.
  • Management of the business’ brand and associated marketing and advertising, which included sourcing a high-end marketing and website development company and overseeing the development of a new website with online purchasing capacity.
  • Overseeing the day-to-day financial commitments, which includes working within an allotted budget for forward orders and standard purchases, as well as the banking of all monies received into the business through point of sale.
  • Scheduling of staff and ensuring that employee costs remain at a consistent and adequate level.
  • Management of the stores product lines, which includes sourcing and researching new products, liaising with brand and wholesale representatives, ordering, inventory management and stock taking.
  • On-going store merchandising to ensure that products are presented to the customer in the most appealing and compelling manner.
  • Development of company policies concerning customer care and conflict resolution, as well as ensuring such policies are carried out effectively by all members of staff.
  • Key skills
  • The ability to lead a relatively large team, an ability reinforced by my success in developing and training every member of staff to a high standard.
  • Multi-tasking at an extreme level of pressure and according to consistent deadlines.
  • Stronger organizational and communication skills, which has lead me to achieve a higher standard in conflict resolution and thus customer care.
  • The ability to operate effectively within a budget.
  • The capacity to delegate specific tasks to the right people effectively.
  • Greater understanding of merchandising, consumer trends, finance, advertising and marketing.
  • Building strong and long lasting business relationships, not only with our customers, but also with our suppliers.

Assistant to the Founding Director

Geoffrey Wallace Stained Glass
01.2003 - 01.2004
  • Company Overview: Australia’s leading heritage conservation studio in the field of stained glass
  • As the Assistant to the Founding Director my role was varied and required me to work in all areas of the business including:
  • Assisting in the documentation and assessment of stained glass windows for insurance and heritage value
  • Restoration of stained glass windows in landmark cathedrals, including St. Pauls Cathedral, as well as local heritage churches throughout Melbourne
  • Working unsupervised on site and liaising with the client and other specialists including architects and stonemasons
  • My role with Geoffrey Wallace Stained Glass placed me in a position of care and responsibility requiring many skills including:
  • The ability to work in a team environment and individually
  • Strong organisational skills and an impeccable attention to detail
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate clearly with people from all walks of life (priests, architects, crafts people and trades people)

Education

Bachelor Of Arts Degree - Criminology Major, Russian Language

University Of Melbourne
Melbourne, VIC
01.2004

Undergraduate Studies - Criminal Justice, Russian Language

University Of Georgia
01.2001

Skills

  • Expertise in booking platforms
  • Applied systems expertise
  • Team leadership
  • Proficient in financial management
  • Productivity optimization strategies
  • Cross-functional teamwork
  • Service excellence
  • Problem-solving
  • Clear interpersonal communication
  • Active listening

Accomplishments

Achieved numerous awards in reaching high milestone sales KPIs

Awards received for Customer Service


LANGUAGES

Russian - Moderate level of fluency, studied at a Tertiary level for 3.5 years
German - Basic fluency, studied for 2 years

Timeline

VIP Travel Manager & Assistant Team Leader

(FCM Travel Solutions)
03.2020 - Current

Adviser & Future Team Leader

FCM Concierge
11.2017 - 03.2020

VIP Consultant

ATPI Voyager
10.2015 - 10.2017

Travel Expert | Assistant Store Manager

STA Travel
05.2007 - 10.2015

Store Manager

Bakpakka
02.2005 - 05.2007

Assistant to the Founding Director

Geoffrey Wallace Stained Glass
01.2003 - 01.2004

Bachelor Of Arts Degree - Criminology Major, Russian Language

University Of Melbourne

Undergraduate Studies - Criminal Justice, Russian Language

University Of Georgia

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Craig Daniel Hecht